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Some species of cover crops produce phenolic compounds with allelopathic potential. The use of math, statistical and computational tools to analyze data obtained with spectrophotometry can assist in the chemical profile discrimination to choose which species and cultivation are the best for weed management purposes. The aim of this study was to perform exploratory and discriminant analysis using R package specmine on the phenolic profile of Secale cereale L., Avena strigosa L. and Raphanus sativus L. shoots obtained by UV–vis scanning spectrophotometry. Plants were collected at 60, 80 and 100 days after sowing and at 15 and 30 days after rolling in experiment in Brazil. Exploratory and discriminant analysis, namely principal component analysis, hierarchical clustering analysis, t-test, fold-change, analysis of variance and supervised machine learning analysis were performed. Results showed a stronger tendency to cluster phenolic profiles according to plant species rather than crop management system, period of sampling or plant phenologic stage. PCA analysis showed a strong distinction of S. cereale L. and A. strigosa L. 30 days after rolling. Due to the fast analysis and friendly use, the R package specmine can be recommended as a supporting tool to exploratory and discriminatory analysis of multivariate data.

O objetivo dessa pesquisa foi compreender as características do apego à moradia localizada em área de risco. A natureza do trabalho foi qualitativa com abordagem multimétodos, por meio do Walk-around-the-block e entrevista semiestruturada com 18 pessoas residentes em área avaliada pela Defesa Civil como de risco muito alto para inundações e deslizamentos. As falas foram analisadas por meio da Grounded Theory onde estabeleceu-se categorias de análise. Evidenciou-se que o processo funcional e o simbólico do apego ao lugar contribuíram para a manutenção deste fenômeno e para a permanência na casa. Em contrapartida, a ocorrência do desastre natural e os decorrentes sentimentos de insegurança e medo juntamente com as características físicas da moradia influenciaram no apego e no cuidado do ambiente de modo que houve uma ambivalência de sentimentos entre os participantes, repercutindo no anseio entre o partir e o permanecer na casa

A sociedade tem demonstrado interesse e preocupação em relação aos problemas ambientais, entre eles merece destaque os problemas relacionados à água. Nesta pesquisa buscou-se conhecer os significados que a água assume para lideres locais em Santa Catarina Brasil. Este é um dos subprojetos do Programa Tecnologias Sociais para Gestão da Água, patrocinado pela Petrobras Ambiental. Para este estudo houve aplicação de instrumento de evocações livres, tendo como termos indutores água, água de qualidade, água poluída, preservação da água e uso e exploração da água. As respostas foram tratadas pelos programas Evoc e Similitude 2000, e analisadas a partir da teoria do núcleo central. Os resultados indicam que a água é compreendida como essencial à vida, ligada à saúde e necessita ser preservada, a atuação humana é destacada como responsável por seu cuidado ou destruição

Nanoformulations with herbal actives for treating bovine mastitis present an alternative for controlling bacterial infections in the emerging scenario of antimicrobial resistance. In this study, we investigated macela (Achyrocline satureioides) nanoemulsion (NE-ML), a formulation developed for the treatment of bovine mastitis (registered under Brazilian patent application BR 10 2021 008630 0), in the context of its bactericidal mechanism(s) of action and potential synergism with commercial antimicrobials. The effect of NE-ML on the integrity and cell permeability of Staphylococcus aureus was evaluated by measuring the electrical conductivity of bacterial suspensions exposed to different concentrations of NE-ML and by assessing the release of cellular constituents. Damage to bacterial ultrastructures was analyzed by transmission electron micrographs. The synergism of NE-ML with beta-lactam antibiotics and aminoglycosides was evaluated by the checkerboard test method against S. aureus (n = 6). The relative electrical conductivity of the bacterial solution gradually increased over time, reaching high values after exposure to 1xMIC (52.3%) and 2xMIC (75.34%) of NE-ML. Total proteins were detected in the bacterial suspensions exposed to NE-ML, increasing in concentration over exposure time (p < 0.05). Through bacterial micrographs, we observed that exposure to NE-ML (1xMIC) affected the integrity of the plasma membrane with invaginations in the cytosolic region and alterations in the cell wall. The increase in NE-ML concentration resulted in greater damage to the ultrastructure of S. aureus with changes in bacterial cell division patterns. When NE-ML was combined with the beta-lactam antimicrobials, the interaction was indifferent, indicating no modulation of antimicrobial resistance. In contrast, when combined with the aminoglycoside, a synergistic interaction did occur. These general findings suggest that the bactericidal action of NE-ML begins in the plasma membrane, causing alterations in its permeability and integrity, and extends to the cell wall, cytoplasm, and cell division. Although synergy was restricted to the aminoglycoside by destabilizing the bacterial cell membrane, this suggests that NE-ML can induce the entry of other actives, potentially reducing their therapeutic doses. Understanding the mechanism of action of this new nanoformulation is certain to drive pharmacological advances, broaden the perspective of its in vivo use, and improve the treatment of bovine mastitis.

Introduction: Sexually transmitted infections frequently affect pregnant women and, consequently, newborns. HIV and syphilis are vertically transmitted to children and co-infection requires special attention due to its clinical implications. Objective: To describe clinical aspects of HIV/syphilis coinfection during pregnancy and the exposure of newborns to infections treated at a pediatric reference hospital in Santa Catarina between 2015 and 2020. Methods: Observational, descriptive study, secondary to a line of research “Epidemiological description of children exposed to HIV” from January 2015 to December 2020 in a tertiary pediatric hospital in Santa Catarina. Results: 678 medical records were analyzed with ICD Z.206 (contact with and exposure to HIV), in which 71 (10.5%) newborns were exposed to HIV and Syphilis co-infection. Of these, 37 (52.1%) were male, 14 (19.7%) confirmed a diagnosis of HIV and 30 (42.2%) of congenital syphilis. Of the co-infected pregnant women, 38 (53.5%) were diagnosed with HIV prior to pregnancy, 53 (74.6%) used ART and 40 (52.1%) used harmful substances. Furthermore, 34 (46.4%) pregnant women had a minimum number of 6 prenatal consultations, 35 (49.3%) had vaginal births and 29 (40.8%) had undetectable HIV RNA quantification at the time of delivery. HIV prophylaxis for newborns occurred in 66 (92.9%) of cases. Conclusion: It is concluded that the studied population was mostly made up of pregnant women who were diagnosed with HIV infection prior to pregnancy. Of these, the majority were using ART, but the minority carried out the minimum number of consultations recommended by the Ministry of Health. Regarding newborns, the majority received HIV prophylaxis.

Introduction: Burns is a public health challenge due to high morbidity and mortality and impairment of the victim’s quality of life. They disproportionately affect populations of lower socioeconomic status, resulting in high health costs. Method: Ecological, retrospective, observational study, with a quantitative approach and temporal trend analysis of morbidity and mortality due to burns in Santa Catarina, with data obtained from the Hospital and Mortality Information Systems made available by the Information Technology Department of the Unified Health System. Temporal analysis by Spearman Correlation Test. Results: There was a growing trend in the general hospitalization rate (Spearman=0.806; p

Esta investigação objetivou descrever a prática de vandalismo escolar autorreportada por estudantes, relacionando-a igualmente a gênero, idade e escolaridade. Responderam a um questionário, 508 estudantes cursando da sétima série do Ensino Fundamental à terceira série do Ensino Médio de uma escola pública de Florianópolis (SC). Ações que acarretam desgaste da estrutura edificada estiveram entre as menos praticadas, enquanto aquelas que afetam porções superficiais dessa estrutura por deposição de resíduos, ações de jogar lixo no chão e contra equipamentos alocados no prédio estiveram entre as mais reportadas. Os resultados também indicaram uma diferença entre sexos e entre estudantes do Ensino Fundamental e Médio quanto ao vandalismo autorreportado, sugerindo que estudantes do sexo feminino e do Ensino Médio possuem maior cuidado ambiental. Uma relação com a idade dos participantes não foi encontrada, suscitando questões acerca de como a série escolar e a idade interagem ao longo do processo de desenvolvimento humano pró-ambiental

Os problemas ambientais já fazem parte da realidade global e, em meio a tantos problemas, a água é tema frequente nos debates. Assim, este artigo trata da relação pessoa-ambiente e busca compreender como os usuários de água, de abastecimento urbano, representam o recurso que consomem; possui como foco de análise a variável idade dos participantes. Como resultado observou-se que para a maioria, independentemente da idade, a água é percebida não apenas como recurso, mas como meio de vida. Frente aos problemas ambientais ligados à água, os jovens atribuem maior responsabilidade à população que as pessoas mais velhas, que atribuem à empresa de abastecimento e ao governo. Quanto à disponibilidade de água no futuro os participantes se mostraram pessimistas e vincularam isto à ação humana. Tal constatação pode ser útil para que se avaliem formas de gestão e que se leve em consideração o envolvimento da população nas políticas de gestão

The diminishing of food waste is gaining increasing importance, especially in context with a growing population and a need for the sustainable use of food resources. A more precise determination of the best-before date can contribute to this general aim. As proteoforms can be regarded as indicators for ecophysiological influences, their suitability for determining the spoilage and, consequently, the shelf-life of food is suggested. Proteoforms reflect the spoilage of food more accurately. The aim of the present study was to develop an efficient proteomics workflow to determine the shelf-life of milk as a prominent target. In this case, raw milk was chosen as model, as it degrades much faster. The integration of different multivariate analysis techniques was used to analyze the spoilage of raw milk with regard to aspects of its proteome. As the feasibility of such an approach has already been demonstrated in previous studies, it is further necessary to enable a robust and reproducible workflow, primarily gaining appropriate numbers and amounts of peptides when the research question differs and other dairy products are evaluated. In the present study, two approaches for gaining peptides were considered: In addition to a direct hydrolysis of a protein-rich sample solution, in-gel hydrolysis is another common approach in proteomics. By separating the proteins in a traditional gel electrophoresis before hydrolysis, the change in the individual proteins and, consequently, potential peptides can be monitored more specifically during storage. However, the traditional approach offers not only possibilities but also limitations that must be considered. The study showed that it is beneficial to apply a combination of different application strategies, as they complement each other and can thus increase the information content of a sample or confirm a theory. Mass spectrometric features, which represent a chemical–structural change of all kinds of compounds during storage, were selected, and three of them were identified as peptides, originating from α-s1-casein.

Abstract Background Leiomysarcoma of intravascular origin is an exceedingly rare entity of malignant soft tissue tumors. They are most frequently encountered in the retroperitoneum arising from the inferior vena cava and are scarcely found to arise from vessels of the extremities. These tumors were analysed with particular reference to treatment outcome and prognosis. The aim of this article is to broaden the knowledge of the clinical course of this rare malignancy. Method During 2000 and 2009 twelve patients were identified with an intravascular origin of a leiomyosarcoma. Details regarding the clinical course, follow-up and outcome were assessed with focus on patient survival, tumor relapse and metastases and treatment outcome. 3 year survival probability was calculated using Kaplan-Meier method. Results Vascular leiomyosarcomas accounted for 0.7% of all malignant soft tissue tumors treated at our soft tissue sarcoma reference center. The mean follow up period was 38 months. Tumor relapse was encountered in six patients. 6 patients developed metastatic disease. The three year survival was 57%. Conclusion Vascular leiomysarcoma is a rare but aggressive tumor entity with a high rate of local recurrence and metastasis.

Abstract Background Cancer cells display widespread changes in DNA methylation that may lead to genetic instability by global hypomethylation and aberrant silencing of tumor suppressor genes by focal hypermethylation. In turn, altered DNA methylation patterns have been used to identify putative tumor suppressor genes. Methods In a methylation screening approach, we identified ECRG4 as a differentially methylated gene. We analyzed different cancer cells for ECRG4 promoter methylation by COBRA and bisulfite sequencing. Gene expression analysis was carried out by semi-quantitative RT-PCR. The ECRG4 coding region was cloned and transfected into colorectal carcinoma cells. Cell growth was assessed by MTT and BrdU assays. ECRG4 localization was analyzed by fluorescence microscopy and Western blotting after transfection of an ECRG4-eGFP fusion gene. Results We found a high frequency of ECRG4 promoter methylation in various cancer cell lines. Remarkably, aberrant methylation of ECRG4 was also found in primary human tumor tissues, including samples from colorectal carcinoma and from malignant gliomas. ECRG4 hypermethylation associated strongly with transcriptional silencing and its expression could be re-activated in vitro by demethylating treatment with 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine. Overexpression of ECRG4 in colorectal carcinoma cells led to a significant decrease in cell growth. In transfected cells, ECRG4 protein was detectable within the Golgi secretion machinery as well as in the culture medium. Conclusions ECRG4 is silenced via promoter hypermethylation in different types of human cancer cells. Its gene product may act as inhibitor of cell proliferation in colorectal carcinoma cells and may play a role as extracellular signaling molecule.

Abstract Introduction Merkel cell carcinoma and dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans are two very rare neoplasms. The simultaneous occurrence of two different tumour entities at the same anatomical site, collision tumours, is a rare phenomenon. Case presentation We present a rare case of a 74-year-old woman with a previous history of a recurrent dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans presenting with a metastatic Merkel cell carcinoma. Further investigation revealed a collision tumour of a metastatic lesion of the Merkel cell carcinoma within a tumour relapse of a dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans. Conclusion Synchronous occurrence of two different tumour entities is extremely rare and has not been described for Merkel cell carcinoma and dermatofibrosarcoma. Merkel cell carcinoma, a tumour of the elderly or immunocompromised patients, leads to early metastasis and can be expected to be the limiting factor for prognoses.

Abstract Background Toothache is a dental public health problem and one of the predictors of dental attendance and it is strongly associated with the life quality of individuals. In spite of this, there are few population-based epidemiological studies on this theme. Objective: To estimate the prevalence of toothache and associated factors in adults of Lages, Southern Brazil. Methods A cross-sectional population-based study was carried out in a sample of 2,022 adults aged 20 to 59 years living in the urban area of a medium sized city in Southern Brazil. A questionnaire including socioeconomic, demographic, smoking, alcohol, and use of dental service variables was applied at adults household. Toothache occurred six months previous of the interview was considered the outcome. Poisson regression analyses were performed following a theoretical hierarchical framework. All analysis was adjusted by the sample design effect. Results The response rate was 98.6%. The prevalence of toothache was 18.0% (95% CI 16.0; 20.1). The following variables were associated with toothache after adjustment: female (PR = 1.3 95% CI 1.3; 2.0), black skin colour vs. whites (PR = 1.5 95% CI 1.1, 1.9), low per capita income (PR = 1.7 95% CI 1.2, 2.3), smokers (PR = 1.5 95% CI 1.2, 1.9) and those who reported alcohol problems (PR = 1.4 95% CI 1.1; 1.9). To be 40 years of age (PR = 0.5 95% CI 0.4, 0.7) and use dental service in the last year (RR = 0.5 95% CI 0.4, 0.6) were protective factors for toothache. Conclusion The prevalence of toothache in adults of Lages can be considered a major problem of dental public health.

Abstract Background Intravascular leiomyosarcoma is a rare tumour entity originating from venous vessel structures and most frequently affecting the inferior vena cava. Case presentation A 69-year old patient presented with a biopsy proven leiomyosarcoma of the right supraclavicular region. Tumour resection and histological assessment verified the intravascular tumour origin arising from the internal jugular vein and extending into the surrounding soft tissue. Conclusion In the presence of a biopsy proven diagnosis of leiomyosarcoma the rare condition of an intravascular tumour origin has to be considered even without signs of venous stases. This may result in an altered surgical strategy. Microthrombembolism and pulmonary metastases may complicate the course of the disease.

Abstract Background Alveolar sarcoma of the soft parts (ASPS) represents a very rare entity of soft tissue sarcoma with special features such as young peak age incidence and frequent metastasis to the brain. The aim of this study was a clinicopathological analysis with special reference to treatment and outcome. Methods From the database of the BG-University Hospital Bergmannsheil, 1597 soft tissue sarcoma (STS) cases were reviewed and 11 consecutive patients with ASPS were isolated. Data was acquired from patients' charts and contact to patients, their relatives or general practitioners, with special reference to treatment and clinical course. The average follow up time from the time of the definite operation for the primary tumor was 6.5 years. Kaplan-Meier method was used to calculate survival. Results Patients with localized disease who received complete resection and adjuvant radiation and who did not develop recurrence or metastatic disease within 2 years after surgery had a positive outcome. The size of the tumor, its localization, and the time of untreated growth before treatment did not influence the long-term results. All patients who developed recurrent disease also suffered from distant metastasis, reflecting the aggressive biology of the tumor. All patients with distant metastasis had the lungs and the brain affected. Conclusion Due to the limited number of patients with ASPS, prospective studies would have to span decades to gather a significant collective of patients; therefore, it is not possible to comment meaningfully on a possible benefit of neoadjuvant or adjuvant therapy. We recommend wide surgical excision and, in the absence of data telling otherwise, adjuvant radiation. In cases with recurrent disease or metastasis, the prognosis is bad and further treatment will be restricted to palliation in most cases.

Abstract Background Elastofibromas are benign soft tissue tumours mostly of the infrascapular region between the thoracic wall, the serratus anterior and the latissimus dorsi muscle with a prevalence of up to 24% in the elderly. The pathogenesis of the lesion is still unclear, but repetitive microtrauma by friction between the scapula and the thoracic wall may cause the reactive hyperproliferation of fibroelastic tissue. Methods We present a series of seven cases with elastofibroma dorsi with reference to clinical findings, further clinical course and functional results after resection, as well as recurrence. Data were obtained retrospectively by clinical examination, phone calls to the patients' general practitioners and charts review. Follow-up time ranged from four months to nine years and averaged 53 months. Results The patients presented with swelling of the infrascapular region or snapping scapula. In three cases, the lesion was painful. The ratio men/women was 2/5 with a mean age of 64 years. The tumor sizes ranged from 3 to 13 cm. The typical macroscopic aspect was characterized as poorly defined fibroelastic soft tissue lesion with a white and yellow cut surface caused by intermingled remnants of fatty tissue. Microscopically, the lesions consisted of broad collagenous strands and densely packed enlarged and fragmented elastic fibres with mostly round shapes. In all patients but one, postoperative seroma (which had to be punctuated) occurred after resection; however, at follow-up time, no patient reported any decrease of function or sensation at the shoulder or the arm of the operated side. None of the patients experienced a relapse. Conclusion In differential diagnosis of soft tissue tumors located at this specific site, elastofibroma should be considered as likely diagnosis. Due to its benign behaviour, the tumor should be resected only in symptomatic patients.

Abstract Background Solitary fibrous tumors (SFT) represent a rare entity of soft tissue tumors. Previously considered being of serosal origin and solely limited to the pleural cavity the tumor has been described in other locations, most particularly the head and neck. Extrathoracic SFT in the soft tissues of the trunk and the extremities are very rare. Nine cases of this rare tumor entity are described in the course of this article with respect to clinicopathological data, follow-up and treatment results. Methods Data were obtained from patients' records, phone calls to the patients' general practitioners, and clinical follow-up examination, including chest X-ray, abdominal ultrasound, and MRI or computed tomography. Results There were 6 females and 3 males, whose age at time of diagnosis ranged from 32 to 92 years (mean: 62.2 years). The documented tumors' size was 4.5 to 10 cm (mean: 7 cm). All tumors were located in deep soft tissues, 3 of them epifascial, 2 subfascial, 4 intramuscular. Four tumors were found at the extremities, one each at the flank, in the neck, at the shoulder, in the gluteal region, and in the deep groin. Two out of 9 cases were diagnosed as atypical or malignant variant of ESFT. Complete resection was performed in all cases. Follow-up time ranged from 1 to 71 months. One of the above.mentioned patients with atypical ESFT suffered from local relapse and metastatic disease; the remaining 8 patients were free of disease. Conclusion ESFT usually behave as benign soft tissue tumors, although malignant variants with more aggressive local behaviour (local relapse) and metastasis may occur. The risk of local recurrence and metastasis correlates to tumor size and histological status of surgical resection margins and may reach up to 10% even in so-called "benign" tumors. Tumor specimens should be evaluated by experienced soft tissue pathologists. The treatment of choice is complete resection followed by extended follow-up surveillance.

Abstract Background Because of the high resistance rate of fibrosarcomas against cytotoxic agents clinical chemotherapy of these tumors is not established. A better understanding of the diverse modes of tumor cell death following cytotoxic therapies will provide a molecular basis for new chemotherapeutic strategies. In this study we elucidated the response of a fibrosarcoma cell line to clinically used cytostatic agents on the level of gene expression. Methods HT1080 fibrosarcoma cells were exposed to the chemotherapeutic agents doxorubicin, actinomycin D or vincristine. Total RNA was isolated and the gene expression patterns were analyzed by microarray analysis. Expression levels for 46 selected candidate genes were validated by quantitative real-time PCR. Results The analysis of the microarray data resulted in 3.309 (actinomycin D), 1.019 (doxorubicin) and 134 (vincristine) probesets that showed significant expression changes. For the RNA synthesis blocker actinomycin D, 99.4% of all differentially expressed probesets were under-represented. In comparison, probesets down-regulated by doxorubicin comprised only 37.4% of all genes effected by this agent. Closer analysis of the differentially regulated genes revealed that doxorubicin induced cell death of HT1080 fibrosarcoma cells mainly by regulating the abundance of factors mediating the mitochondrial (intrinsic) apoptosis pathway. Furthermore doxorubicin influences other pathways and crosstalk to other pathways (including to the death receptor pathway) at multiple levels. We found increased levels of cytochrome c, APAF-1 and members of the STAT-family (STAT1, STAT3), while Bcl-2 expression was decreased. Caspase-1, -3, -6, -8, and -9 were increased indicating that these proteases are key factors in the execution of doxorubicin mediated apoptosis. Conclusion This study demonstrates that chemotherapy regulates the expression of apoptosis-related factors in fibrosarcoma cells. The number and the specific pattern of the genes depend on the used cytotoxic drug. The response rates on the gene expression level, i.e. the number of genes regulated by the drugs actinomycin D, doxorubicin and vincristine, correlate to the clinical effectiveness of the drugs. Doxorubicin seems to exert its cytotoxic mechanism by regulating genes, which are involved in several different apoptosis regulating pathways. The exact knowledge of the genes affected by the drugs will help to understand the diverse modes of soft tissue sarcoma cell death in response to cytotoxic therapies.

Abstract Background Soft tissue sarcomas comprise less than 1% of all solid malignancies. The presentation and behavior of these tumors differs depending on location and histological characteristics. Standard therapy consists of complete surgical resection in combination with adjuvant radiotherapy. The role of chemotherapy is not clearly defined and is largely restricted to clinical trials. Only a limited number of agents have proved to be effective in soft tissue sarcomas. The use of doxorubicin, epirubicin and ifosfamide allowed response rates of more than 20%. In addition, recent chemotherapy trials did not demonstrate any significant differences in efficacy for various histological subtypes. Methods The objective of this study was to gain additional information about the chemosensitivity of soft tissue sarcomas to seven 7 different chemotherapy agents as single drugs and 4 combinations. Therefore we used an established ATP based in-vitro testing system and examined 50 soft tissue sarcomas. Chemosensitivity was assessed using a luciferin-luciferase-based luminescence assay providing individual chemosensitivity indices for each agent tested. Results The sensitivity varied widely according to the histological subtypes. The tumors state of cellular dedifferentiation played a crucial role for the efficiency of the chemotherapeutic agents. The sensitivity also depended on the presentation of the sarcoma as a primary or recurrent tumor. The highest sensitivity was demonstrated for actinomycin D as a single agent, with 74% of the tumor samples exhibiting a high-grade sensitivity (20% low sensitivity, no resistance). The combination of actinomycin D and ifosfamide yielded a high sensitivity in 76% (2% resistance). Doxorubicin as a mono-therapy or in combination with ifosfamide achieved high sensitivity in 70% and 72%, respectively, and resistance in 6% of the samples. Conclusion Chemosensitivity testing is feasible in soft tissue sarcomas. It can be used to create sensitivity and resistance profiles of established and new cytotoxic agents and their combinations in soft tissue sarcomas. Our data demonstrate measurable discrepancies of the drug efficiency in soft tissue sarcomas, sarcoma subtypes and tumor recurrencies. However, current therapeutic regime does not take this in consideration, yet.

Abstract Salmonella enterica serovar Heidelberg (SH), often isolated from broiler chicken samples, damages the entire production chain due to its high resistance in the environment. The search for sustainable disinfectant agents has intensified, focusing on the action of essential oils. This work's objective was to evaluate the in vitro, effect of Thymus vulgaris essential oil (TEO) and thymol in SH isolated from broilers, and the cytotoxicity in animal cells. Four different concentrations of TEO (0.1%, 0.2%, 0.4%, and 0.8%, (v/v)) were used against five SH isolates obtained from broilers and ATCC 8326. Thymol was evaluated at the concentrations of 0.023%, 0.047%, 0.071%, and 0.094% (v/v). In vitro antibacterial assays were performed by quantifying viable planktonic cells in the broth microdilution test. The MTT technique was used to assess the cytotoxicity in IEC-6 intestinal cells and NCTC fibroblasts. IC50 was assessed testing the concentrations of 0.0625%, 0.125%, 0.25%, and 0.5% of TEO and thymol in 24 hours. The bacterial activity was observed from the 0.2% concentration of TEO since no colony-forming units were observed. Thymol in the concentration of 0.094% controlled 83.33% of the bacteria. TEO presented an IC50 of 0.14% and 1.22%, while the IC50 for thymol was 0.068% and 0.001% for the IEC-6 and NCTC cells, respectively. On the other hand, TEO showed low cytotoxicity in fibroblasts and a potential action capacity to eliminate SH strains in vitro.

Abstract Background Age is important in forming the uniqueness of individuals. When chronological age is not available, age estimation is required, particularly in court cases. The mineralization chronology of permanent teeth is a valuable tool for age estimation of subadults. This study aimed to evaluate the mineralization stages of permanent teeth of Brazilian subjects from imaging exams, using the classification by Moorrees et al. modified by the authors, to verify the existence of correlation between the chronology of mineralization stages and sex and to prepare numerical tables of the chronology of dental mineralization stages for Brazilian individuals. Methods Digital panoramic radiographs of 1100 living Brazilian individuals of both sexes, aged between 2 and 25 years, born between 1990 and 2018, from the image bank of a Dental Radiographs and Documentations clinic located in the city of Araraquara, SP, Brazil. The images were evaluated according to the level of crown and root development and classified according to the stages proposed by Moorrees et al. (Am J Phys Anthropol 21: 205–213, 1963) adapted by the authors. All analyses were performed in the R software. Descriptive and exploratory analyses were performed on all data. For intra- and inter-examiner analyses, the rate of agreement and Kappa statistics at a 95% confidence interval were used. Kappa was interpreted according to Landis and Koch. Results Only upper and lower canines showed significant differences between the sexes (p

Maize (Zea mays L.) is a crop widely cultivated in the state of São Paulo, and the sustainable management of nitrogen (N) nutrition is crucial to improving productivity and the environment, which calls for a reliable means of predicting potentially available soil N. A study was undertaken to evaluate and compare biological and chemical indices of potential N availability for a diverse set of 17 soils collected in the northwest region of São Paulo state. For this purpose, mineralization assays were performed at three distinct temperatures, and chemical assessments were carried out using the Illinois Soil Nitrogen Test (ISNT) and by fractionation of hydrolysable soil N. In addition, a greenhouse experiment was conducted to determine dry matter and N accumulation in the aboveground parts of maize plants. Potentially available N estimated by the incubation methods increased with increasing temperature and was strongly correlated with N uptake (r = 0.90). Hydrolysable N fractions varied widely among the soils studied and were more variable for amino sugar N than for other fractions. Potentially available N estimated by the ISNT was highly correlated with hydrolysable amino acid N and amino sugar N (r = 0.95–0.96) and also with plant dry matter accumulation (r = 0.82) and N uptake (r = 0.93). The ISNT has potential to improve fertilizer N recommendations for maize production in Brazil, provided that the test values are interpreted relative to an appropriate calibration database, planting density, and other factors affecting crop N requirement.

The quality of food is influenced by several factors during production and storage. When using marker compounds, different steps in the production chain, as well as during storage, can be monitored. This might enable an optimum prediction of food’s shelf life and avoid food waste. Especially, proteoforms and peptides thereof can serve as indicators for exogenous influences. The development of a proteomics-based workflow for detecting and identifying differences in the proteome is complex and time-consuming. The aim of the study was to develop a fast and universal workflow with ultra-high temperature (UHT) milk as a proteinaceous model food with expectable changes in protein/peptide composition. To find an optimum shelf life without sticking to a theoretically fixed best-before date, new evaluation and analytical methods are needed. Consequently, a modeling approach was used to monitor the shelf life of the milk after it was treated thermally and stored. The different peptide profiles determined with high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) showed a significant difference depending on the preparation method of the samples. Potential marker peptides were determined using orthogonal projections to latent structures discriminant analysis (OPLSDA) and principal component analysis (PCA) following a typical proteomics protocol with tryptic hydrolysis. An additional Python-based algorithm enabled the identification of eight potential tryptic marker peptides (with mass spectrometric structural indications m/z 885.4843, m/z 639.3500, m/z 635.8622, m/z 634.3570, m/z 412.7191, m/z 623.2967, m/z 880.4767, and m/z 692.4041), indicating the effect of the heat treatment. The developed workflow is flexible and can be easily adapted to different research questions in the field of peptide analysis. In particular, the process of feature identification can be carried out with significantly less effort than with conventional methods.

ABSTRACT Purpose: To evaluate the quality of breast reconstruction service at a university hospital, as assessed by the patients. Methods: This cross-sectional study enrolled adult women who underwent immediate or delayed breast reconstruction by any technique performed at a university hospital between 1 and 24 months before the assessment. The Brazilian version of the Health Service Quality Scale (HSQS) was self-applied to the participants. The HSQS produces percentage scores, which are expressed in values ranging from 0 to 10 for each domain of the scale, and into an overall percentage quality score. The management team was asked to establish a minimum satisfactory score for the breast reconstruction service. Results: Ninety patients were included. The management team considered 8.00 the minimum satisfactory score for the service. The overall percentage score was 93.3%. Only one domain, ‘Support,’ had an average score lower than that considered satisfactory (7.22 ± 3.0); while the others had higher scores. The domain that scored highest was ‘Qualification’ (9.94 ± 0.3), followed by ‘Result’ (9.86 ± 0.4). There was a positive correlation between ‘type of oncologic surgery’ and ‘intentions of loyalty to the service’ (ρ = 0.272; p = 0.009) and a negative correlation between ‘education’ and ‘quality of the environment’ (ρ = –0.218; p = 0.039). The higher the patient’s level of education, the higher the score attributed to ‘relationship’ (ρ = 0.261; p = 0.013) and the lower the score of ‘aesthetics and functionality’ (ρ = –0.237; p = 0.024). Conclusions: The quality of the breast reconstruction service was considered satisfactory, but there is a demand for structural improvements, better interpersonal relationships, and a stronger support network for patients.

Nanoformulations with herbal actives for treating bovine mastitis present an alternative for controlling bacterial infections in the emerging scenario of antimicrobial resistance. In this study, we investigated macela (Achyrocline satureioides) nanoemulsion (NE-ML), a formulation developed for the treatment of bovine mastitis (registered under Brazilian patent application BR 10 2021 008630 0), in the context of its bactericidal mechanism(s) of action and potential synergism with commercial antimicrobials. The effect of NE-ML on the integrity and cell permeability of Staphylococcus aureus was evaluated by measuring the electrical conductivity of bacterial suspensions exposed to different concentrations of NE-ML and by assessing the release of cellular constituents. Damage to bacterial ultrastructures was analyzed by transmission electron micrographs. The synergism of NE-ML with beta-lactam antibiotics and aminoglycosides was evaluated by the checkerboard test method against S. aureus (n = 6). The relative electrical conductivity of the bacterial solution gradually increased over time, reaching high values after exposure to 1xMIC (52.3%) and 2xMIC (75.34%) of NE-ML. Total proteins were detected in the bacterial suspensions exposed to NE-ML, increasing in concentration over exposure time (p < 0.05). Through bacterial micrographs, we observed that exposure to NE-ML (1xMIC) affected the integrity of the plasma membrane with invaginations in the cytosolic region and alterations in the cell wall. The increase in NE-ML concentration resulted in greater damage to the ultrastructure of S. aureus with changes in bacterial cell division patterns. When NE-ML was combined with the beta-lactam antimicrobials, the interaction was indifferent, indicating no modulation of antimicrobial resistance. In contrast, when combined with the aminoglycoside, a synergistic interaction did occur. These general findings suggest that the bactericidal action of NE-ML begins in the plasma membrane, causing alterations in its permeability and integrity, and extends to the cell wall, cytoplasm, and cell division. Although synergy was restricted to the aminoglycoside by destabilizing the bacterial cell membrane, this suggests that NE-ML can induce the entry of other actives, potentially reducing their therapeutic doses. Understanding the mechanism of action of this new nanoformulation is certain to drive pharmacological advances, broaden the perspective of its in vivo use, and improve the treatment of bovine mastitis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/Objectives: Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women globally, and it negatively impacts diet and quality of life, increasing the risk of recurrence. Adhering to World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) and American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) lifestyle guidelines, such as healthy eating habits and nutritional status, can help in primary and secondary cancer prevention. However, no questionnaire was found for self-assessment of these guidelines for the Brazilian population. The aim of this study is to carry out content validity, pilot, and usability testing of the self-administered digital instrument "PrevCancer" assessing adherence to the WCRF/AICR recommendations in Brazilian female breast cancer survivors. Methods: We conducted a psychometric study that involved the development of an instrument based on WCRF/AICR recommendations. Assessment of content validity involved the Content Validity Index (CVI) based on expert assessments (n = 7). The pilot study involved the System Usability Scale (SUS) after applying the developed instrument (n = 65) and anthropometric assessment for convergent validity by female participants (n = 55). The final usability test consisted of evaluating the satisfaction with the instrument of women with breast cancer (n = 14). Results: The "PrevCancer" instrument demonstrated good content (CVI = 1.0) as well as good usability and acceptability in the pilot study (mean SUS score = 88.1). The convergent validity stage demonstrated positive associations between the PrevCancer parameters and anthropometric parameters (p < 0.001). In the final usability study (mean SUS score = 90.3), participants' receptivity to the instrument was excellent. Conclusions: The PrevCancer instrument had valid content and great usability by the target population, proving to be a useful tool for future cancer research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The diminishing of food waste is gaining increasing importance, especially in context with a growing population and a need for the sustainable use of food resources. A more precise determination of the best-before date can contribute to this general aim. As proteoforms can be regarded as indicators for ecophysiological influences, their suitability for determining the spoilage and, consequently, the shelf-life of food is suggested. Proteoforms reflect the spoilage of food more accurately. The aim of the present study was to develop an efficient proteomics workflow to determine the shelf-life of milk as a prominent target. In this case, raw milk was chosen as model, as it degrades much faster. The integration of different multivariate analysis techniques was used to analyze the spoilage of raw milk with regard to aspects of its proteome. As the feasibility of such an approach has already been demonstrated in previous studies, it is further necessary to enable a robust and reproducible workflow, primarily gaining appropriate numbers and amounts of peptides when the research question differs and other dairy products are evaluated. In the present study, two approaches for gaining peptides were considered: In addition to a direct hydrolysis of a protein-rich sample solution, in-gel hydrolysis is another common approach in proteomics. By separating the proteins in a traditional gel electrophoresis before hydrolysis, the change in the individual proteins and, consequently, potential peptides can be monitored more specifically during storage. However, the traditional approach offers not only possibilities but also limitations that must be considered. The study showed that it is beneficial to apply a combination of different application strategies, as they complement each other and can thus increase the information content of a sample or confirm a theory. Mass spectrometric features, which represent a chemical–structural change of all kinds of compounds during storage, were selected, and three of them were identified as peptides, originating from α-s1-casein. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examine the uncertainty in households' expectations regarding macroeconomic outcomes, namely inflation and the rate of nationwide home price growth. We document that people extrapolate from the instability of their personal and local environment when assessing the future volatility of these macroeconomic variables. Consequently, there are within-person spillovers in subjective uncertainty regarding different economic outcomes. This extrapolative behavior is more pronounced among lower-numeracy individuals, and it persists throughout the business cycle. People with more uncertain macroeconomic expectations are more likely to engage in precautionary behaviors regarding consumption and equity market exposure and are more concerned about credit market access. This paper was accepted by David Simchi-Levi, finance. Supplemental Material: The data files are available at https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2023.00820. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Das Oberstufen-Kolleg wurde, wie auch andere Schulen in Deutschland, zu Beginn des Jahres 2020 von den Schulschließungen aufgrund der Corona-Pandemie und dem damit zusammenhängenden Wechsel von Präsenz- auf Distanzunterricht überrascht. Um die Perspektive der Kollegiat*innen auf das Lernen während der Schulschließungen und des Distanzunterrichts darzustellen, wurden im Rahmen der regelmäßig stattfindenden Erhebungen der Verlaufs- und Absolventenstudie des Oberstufen-Kollegs (VAmOS) Kollegiat*innen zu ihren Erfahrungen während der coronabedingten Schulschließungen in der Eingangsphase 2019/20 befragt. Dieser Beitrag fokussiert dabei die Frage, wie Kollegiat*innen den Distanzunterricht erlebt haben. Dazu wird zunächst auf der Grundlage von deskriptiven Daten ein Überblick über die Situation der Kollegiat*innen während der Zeit der Schulschließungen sowie deren Erleben gegeben. Mittels multipler linearer Regressionen wird genauer betrachtet, welche Faktoren für die Lernqualität und das Belastungsempfinden der Kollegiat*innen im Distanzunterricht eine Rolle spielten. Des Weiteren werden Ergebnisse zu positiven Aspekten während der Zeit der Schulschließungen aus der kategorienbasierten Auswertung der offenen Antworten der Kollegiat*innen dargestellt. Zu diesem sehr ausführlichen Beitrag liegt ein Supplement vor, in dem die grundlegenden Befunde kurz zusammengefasst sind. The Oberstufen-Kolleg, like other schools in Germany, was surprised at the beginning of 2020 by the school closures due to the Corona pandemic and the associated change from classroom to distance learning. In order to provide the students’ perspectives on learning during the school closures and distance learning, students were questioned about their experiences during the Corona-related school closures in the introductory phase of the school year 2019/20 as part of the regular surveys of the course and graduate study (VAmOS). This article focuses on the question of how the students experienced the distance learning. For this purpose, an overview of the situation of the students during the time of the school closures and their experience is first given on the basis of descriptive data. By using multiple linear regressions, we take a closer look at which factors played a role in the learning quality and students’ perception of stress during distance learning. Furthermore, results on positive aspects during the time of the school closures are presented from the category-based analysis of the open answers of the students. A supplement to this extensive paper is provided, in which the basic findings are briefly summarised.

Diese Publikation widmet sich den Fragen, welche Kompetenzen in Bezug auf Selbstständigkeit von den Schüler*innen im Verlauf der Eingangsphase des Oberstufen-Kollegs erwartet werden, welches Verständnis von Selbstständigkeit die Akteur*innen der Eingangsphase aufweisen, welche Konzepte zur Förderung von Selbstständigkeit von ihnen verfolgt werden und welche Herausforderungen sich hierdurch sowie durch die institutionellen Strukturen für die Schüler*innen ergeben. Dazu wird zunächst Selbstständigkeit als pädagogischer Horizont theoretisch beschrieben und mit den drei Begriffen der produktiven, funktionalen und instrumentellen Selbstständigkeit ausdifferenziert. Der hierbei neu eingeführte Begriff der instrumentellen Selbstständigkeit eröffnet mit dem Konzept der „Zone der nächsten Entwicklung“ auf Basis der Arbeiten Wygotskis (1987) den Blick auf konkrete Lernprozesse, die durch Lernende selbst und mit professioneller Unterstützung initiiert werden. Die instrumentelle Selbstständigkeit wird anschließend auf eine, aus den Arbeiten Ludwig Hubers (1994, 1998, 2010) abgeleitete Vorstellung von Studierfähigkeit bezogen. Dieser theoretische Rahmen wird um eine Darstellung institutioneller Strukturen für das Selbstständigwerden auf verschiedenen Ebenen (KMK, NRW, Oberstufen-Kolleg) sowie um eine Darstellung der Unterrichtsstrukturen am Oberstufen-Kolleg ergänzt. Unter Berücksichtigung dieser theoretischen Überlegungen werden leitfadengestützte Interviews mit verschiedenen Akteur*innen aus der pädagogischen Praxis der Eingangsphase (Lehrende verschiedener Basiskurse, Schulsozialarbeit, Laufbahnberatung, Projektkoordination) nach der Methode des thematischen Kodierens ausgewertet. Dabei werden verschiedene Vorstellungen zu einer pädagogischen Hinführung zur Selbstständigkeit entfaltet und systematisch auf die Ebenen des Unterrichts und der Institution bezogen.